Marble-polishing buffer



March 8, 1927. 1,619,961

- l i c. R. ABBOTT l MARBLE PoLIsHING BUFFER Filed Nov. t24. 17924 water.

hub 381 and has a peripheral rim 43. Fin- Vwhich converges outwardly from the head 39 or is slightly conical as is evident from Figs. 2 and 4 ot the drawing, the housing 45 being smaller in diameter at the lower edge 46 thereof. rlhe housing 45 is secured to the mounting head 39 by cap screws 47. Inside the housing 45 is a polishing element 48. In this modilication ot my invention I employ a polishing element which is coniposed of a multiplicity ollmemhers in the form of lengths of hemp rope 49. These ropes 49 are arranged inside the housing 45 and extend in parallel relationship with each other. The upper e-nds of the hemp rope members 49 are adhesively attached to the lower face oit the web 42 by any glue sub-v stance such as asphaltum. A concentric opening 50 is provided through the bottom of the hub 38 and a. hose 52 is extended therethrough. This hose is made of a material which will wear away as the butling element wears away, and extends to the lower ends of the ropes 49 to provide a water passage which is supplied with water by an opening 53 through the spindle 12.V A hose V54 is connected with the upper end of the spindle by which water is supplied to the opening 53.

A very important considerationof my invention is the manner in which the hemp ropes 49 are firmly retained inside the housing 45. In making the butler 11, I irst'secure the housing 45 to the head 39, and then place the hemp ropes 49 andthe hose 52 in place. I then'remove the head from the housing 45 and pour a layer of asphaltum over the upper ends thereof. I then replace the head 39 and secure it permanently in place. The asphaltuin serves not only to glue the ropes 49 together, but also serves to glue them to the lower iace of the head 39. I then saturate the hemp ropes with owing to the fact that they are constricted by the housing 45, the individual expansion of each of the ropes 49 Serves to compress them tightly together. rilhis prevents a pulling of any of the ropes 49 from place. By constructing the housing 45 in conical form so that the smaller end thereof is at the lower end ofthe polishing .member 48, an additional resistance against the removal of the ropes is provided.

As clearly shown in Fig. 2, I provide the housing 45 with a. number ot series of aligned slots 53, these slots being arranged so that only a. small bridge oi' metal, as indicated atV 59, separates the aligned slots.y l/Vhen the bulring element 48 wears, the lower edge 60 'of the housing 45 moves toward the surface `of the marble.

It. is another feature of this invention to` provide a housing which may This causes them to expand, and' be shortened as thelower contacting face of the polishing element wears away. The pro- .vision oil'. series of aligned slots accomplishes this feature. Then it is necessary to shorten the housing 45, the bridges of metal 59 between the lowermost series of slots 58 are cut, this being readily done by use of a chisel. A lower band thus separated from the housing 45 is then removed and the element 48 will extend an adequate distance below the remaining portion ofi the housing. rIhis operation may be conducted through the lite of the buller as the polishing element 48 wears. It lwill be seen that the lowerl edge ol the housing always Vextends into the adjacency of the polishing surface oi the polishing element 48, and at all times supports it so that the necessary pressure for polishing may be applied by the buffer.

l gain referring to Fig. 1, if the surface 33 of the slab of marble 34 has previously been worked upon, and is ready for the linal polish, it is covered with a layer of polishing powder, as previously described. Thel buffer 11 is then set upon the slab 34 and the lower end of the spindle 35 is extended into the opening 41 so that the keys 36 extend into the key slots 37. The spindle is then rotated through the shafting and belting as previously described, and water is supplied to the buffer through the hose 54, the opening 53 in the spindle 12, and through the hose 52 to the surface 33, this water combining with the powder and forming a paste. As the buffer 11 rota-tes, pressure may be applied by means of the lever arm 31 and lthe buffer may be moved over the surface 33 by swinging the complete radius arm 23 by means of the lever 31.

My invention includes certain unique features which cooperate and provide a marble polishing buffer which is superior to the present buffers iu many respects, and which may be produced latene-third the cost of any of the presentfbuliers. In actual production I produce a buil'er of myinvention for li'ltcen dollars, whereas the cost of a buffer which in any way equals my invention would be about fty dollars. The novel manner in which I retain the hemp members 49 in place is an important `feature ot my invention. The housing 45 being constructed so that it may be readily shortened also constitutes an important feature ot the invention. worn to the extent that it can no longer be used, the mounting head may be removed from the element 48 and the housing 45, and a new housing and Velement attached thereto. In other words, the head 39 is prac tically everlasting, and it is necessary to replace only the wearing parts, namely, the polishing element 48 and the housing or skirt 45.y

I claim as my invention:

Then the polishing element 49 has Cil l. In a buer, the combination ofi a mounting head having a depending peripheral skirt converging from said head outwardly and constituting a housing; and a bufling element consisting of a plurality of longitudinally disposed strands of rope tightly compacted in said housing and extending only slightly beyond the outer edge of said skirt, the ends of said strands of rope forming a relatively firm bulling element capable of withstanding applied pressure Without appreciable distortion and having a bufing surface of relatively soft texture, there being a Huid passage through said head and bufling element.

2.' In a. buffer, the combination of: a mounting head having a depending peripheral skirt converging from said head out- Wardly and constituting` a housing; and a bufng element consisting of a plurality of longitudinally disposed strands of rope tightly compacted in said housing and extending only slightly beyond the outer edge of said skirt, the ends of said strands of rope forming a relatively firm bufling element capable of withstanding applied pressure Without appreciable distortion and having a buliing sur-y face of relatively soft texture, there being a fluid passage through said head and buffng element, said skirt being perforated to facilitate the removal of portions thereof as said strands of rope are Worn away.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at Los Angeles, California, this 15th day of November 1924. c

.CHARLES R. ABBOTT. 

